Read recipes thoroughly ahead of time. Twice.
Admit it. You’re thinking this is the dumbest cooking tip of all time. Of course you’re supposed to read the recipe!” But when you find a good recipe, you skim it quickly and start cooking.
Wrong. The result? Epic fail. Mistakes get made. It’s not just important to read the recipe before you start cooking, it’s also just as important to read the recipe when you decide to make the dish.
Why is it so important?
Even recipes from published cookbooks can leave out information (or ingredients!) in the list but there it is, hidden further down in the instructions. It’s also possible that you’ll miss that “marinate overnight” instruction or “pour batter into Springform pan” and…ooops…you don’t have a Springform pan.
Be a cool cook. Read, reread, then cook.
Prepare and organise ahead of time.
it’s so important for safety and recipe success to be prepared and it will only help you (us) be better cooks!
Mise en place is what the cool cooks call it. It’s a French phrase meaning “putting in place.” Before you even heat up the pan, get everything prepared. Everything should be washed, chopped, diced, minced, and set out on your countertop prior to cooking.
If you master this step, cooking will feel like a breeze and will be much more enjoyable.
Don’t overcrowd your pan or baking dish.
Foods release moisture as they cook. When pans get crowded, your food will start to steam itself rather than brown and that will change the texture of the food. Potatoes in the oven won’t be as crisp on the outside, meat won’t brown as well, Give your food ample room in the pan, especially when browning or baking things that need to be crisp (like French fries in the oven or breaded chicken).
If your pan is too small, cook in batches. Unless the recipe calls it, don’t steam your food by cramming too much together.
Turn your pan handles to the side.
Always turn your pan handSource: Internetles to the side.
When things get a little hectic, and you’re racing across the kitchen to grab an ingredient, you could to run into the handles and knock the pan onto the floor.
Even if you’ve followed steps 1 and 2 and are feeling good about cooking, the kiddos could knock down a hot saucepan of boiling water.
Get in the habit of turning your handles to the side and stay safe, cooks!
Get a good chef’s knife.
A chef’s knife can also be called a cook’s knife.
A good chef’s knife must be sharp and feel good in your hand. If you have small hands, you may feel more comfortable with a smaller 6-7 size and larger hands would fit better with a 8-10 knife.
Purchase fresh, quality ingredients.
Your food can only be as good as your ingredients and you get what you pay for.
Don’t use old, expired spices.
If you’re a beginner, you probably don’t have a lot of spices. But if you’ve had that paprika for 10 years, splurge on a new one.
Source Internet